Sealed server
Encyclopedia
A sealed server is a server
which is designed to run without users logging in. This setup has several potential benefits over a traditional server:
A sealed server is primarily useful for data-centric mechanisms such as email
, and is unsuited to file-centric protocols such as FTP
.
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
which is designed to run without users logging in. This setup has several potential benefits over a traditional server:
- Stronger security. Since users do not log in, it is possible for a sealed server to use stronger authenticationAuthenticationAuthentication is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a datum or entity...
than a passwordPasswordA password is a secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource . The password should be kept secret from those not allowed access....
mechanism. - Transparency. Since files are not accessed directly, a sealed server can store its payload in any format, without the clientClient (computing)A client is an application or system that accesses a service made available by a server. The server is often on another computer system, in which case the client accesses the service by way of a network....
s needing any information about this. - Less opportunity for user error. Since a user does not have full control over the files on the server, there is less opportunity for them to, for example, change the modeStat (Unix)stat is a Unix system call that returns useful data about a file inode. The semantics of stat vary between operating systems. As an example, the Unix command ls uses it to retrieve information on : time of last modification , time of last status change and time of last access .-stat functions and...
of a private file to be world-readable.
A sealed server is primarily useful for data-centric mechanisms such as email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
, and is unsuited to file-centric protocols such as FTP
File Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol is a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and utilizes separate control and data connections between the client and server...
.